Printer circuit board for an optoelectric computer system

Abstract

An improved architecture for an optoelectric computer system is disclosed. The computer system includes an optical bus and an electrical bus. With this computer system, electrical devices are connected to the electrical bus and optoelectric devices are connected to the optical bus. Furthermore, a few optoelectric devices are utilized to provide communications between the optical bus and the electrical bus.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A printed circuit board utilized within an optoelectric computer system, comprising: 
       a single printed circuit board having at least one substantially planar surface;  
       at least one optical bus within said single printed circuit board;  
       at least one electrical bus within said single printed circuit board;  
       a plurality of electrical devices connected to said at least one electrical bus; and  
       a plurality of optoelectric devices, wherein some of said plurality of optoelectric devices are only connected to said at least one optical bus and a remainder of said plurality of optoelectric devices are coupled between said at least one optical bus and said at least one electrical bus, wherein each of said remainder of said plurality of optoelectric devices includes a vertical cavity surface emitting laser capable of converting optical signals from said at least one optical bus to electrical signals for said at least one electrical bus and converting electrical signals from said at least one electrical bus to optical signals for said at least one optical bus.  
     
     
       2. The printed circuit board according to claim  1 , wherein said optical bus is a system bus. 
     
     
       3. The printed circuit board according to claim  1 , wherein said electrical bus is a peripheral component interconnect bus. 
     
     
       4. The printed circuit board according to claim  1 , wherein said electrical bus is an industry standard architecture bus. 
     
     
       5. The printed circuit board according to claim  1 , wherein one of said remaining plurality of optoelectric devices is a host bridge.